Pipe smoking

ABSTRACT

Pipe smoking with easy draw of large volumes of smoke from burning smoking material is made possible through a structural arrangement of a pipe which affords laminar flow throughout a flow passage running from bowl to pipe stem interior to a lip end of the pipe stem. The structure includes a metal bowl and a metal pipe stem, a metal screen and a plastic pipe stem insulating sleeve, all made of safe materials and, to the maximum practicable extent, of recyclable materials. The screen is lockable into the bowl but demountable therefrom and, in one embodiment thereof, is provided with a cutaway section for expediting removal thereof from the bowl.

[451 Feb. 4, 1975 1541 PIPE SMOKING [76] Inventor: Richard A. Unger, 30 Bay State Rd.,

Rm. 928, Boston, Mass. 02215 [22] Filed: Dec. 22, 1972 211 App1.No.:317,383

1,849 1878 Great Britain 131/224 120,340 11/1918 Great Britain 131/214 26,431 1909 Great Britain 131/220 643,138 7/1962 Italy 131/224 1,503 1868 Great Britain 131/226 790,855 9/1935 France 131/224 5,861 1912 Great Britain 131/219 Primary Examiner.loseph S. Reich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jerry Cohen [57] ABSTRACT Pipe smoking with easy draw of large volumes of smoke from burning smoking material is made possible through a structural arrangement of a pipe which affords laminar flow throughout a flow passage running from how] to pipe stem interior to a lip end of the pipe stem. The structure includes a metal bowl and a metal pipe stem, a metal screen and a plastic pipe stem insulating sleeve, all made of safe materials and, to the maximum practicable extent, of recyclable materials. The screen is lockable into the bowl but demountable therefrom and, in one embodiment thereof, is provided with a cutaway section for expediting removal thereof from the bowl.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures [52] U.S. Cl 131/179, 131/205, 131/224 [51] Int. Cl. A241 5/08 [58] Field of Search 131/176, 179, 205, 224, 131/230, 219, 220, 204

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 224,107 2/1880 Rix 131/205 566,739 9/1896 Bryant 131/219 X 607,601 7/1898 Ferrata 131/205 1,461,126 7/1923 Lasure 131/230 X 1,537,138 5/1925 Rankow.... 131/205 2,385,312 9/1945 Swift 131/226 X 2,593,016 4/1952 Dressler, Jr. et a1 131/219 X 2,755,206 7/1956 Statia, Sr 131/230 UX 3,079,928 3/1963 Jensen 131/224 X 3,308,834 3/1967 Furedy 131/230 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 162,537 9/1933 Switzerland 131/224 I91 18A 2OA 20lA L813 DS L 26 A FEB 4197s 3. 863.647

sum 10F 2 as L D8 26 9 FIG.

191 18A 20AM IOA 22A 20|A L 12 \T\ 22B\ Qg I X A 20|B l 33 L 26 v s 5 INSPIRATIONAL mp 0 E? 4 55555? l EXPI'RATORY I FUNCT'IONAL RESERVE TIDAL SD CAPACITY TOTAL LUNG CAPACITY VOLUME I TIME FIG. 3

PIPE SMOKING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to pipe smoking and more particularly to an improved construction of a pipe and screen therefor which can enhance a widespread expansion of the popularity of pipe smoking as compared to other forms of smoking such as cigarette smoking.

Pipe smoking generally involves the use of wooden bowls with elongated pipe stem extensions thereof for cooling the smoke as it passes from its origin in the bowl along the length of the pipe stem into the smokers lips. The favored material of construction is wood which tends to accumulate tars along its surface and within porous internal structures thereof.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide for improved pipe smoking characterized by ease of draw.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved pipe structure consistent with the preceding object.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, mass producible and economic construction of pipe and its components consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a selfrighting, straight up seating pipe consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a long lived, easily cleanable pipe consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an effective smoke blowing capability consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a light weight pipe with good balance consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, an improved smoking pipe comprises a metallic block with intersecting orthogonally arranged passages therein. One of the passages is enlarged in one or multiple steps to form a bowl opening at an upper surface and a shoulder at each step. A screen seats on each shoulder and is formed concavely toward the upper bowl opening to hold smoking material thereon. The edges of the screen(s) seat on the shoulder(s); but the balance of the screen(s) clear the shoulder(s) to allow even burning.

The intersecting passages in the block and the pipe stem (which is a metal tube covered with insulating means such as a straight plastic tube or spiral wrapped insulating tape) are dimensioned and configured to assure maintenance of laminar flow of smoke from the charge on the screen to the smoker who draws in smoke at a lip end of the tubular stem.

The screen is larger than the bowl opening so that when pressed into the bowl it takes up the above described concave form. The screen is a regular geometric figure such as a circle, rectangle, trapezoid, hexagon and in an embodiment thereof, the screen has a cutout edge to allow insertion of a screen removal tool.

The pipes are made in plural models of slightly different sizes so that two such pipes may be arrayed in nesting, confronting bowl relationship for easier draw or shotgun effect blowing as explained below.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed'de- 7 drawing in which BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an axial section view of a pipe made according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1A is a similar axial section view of a pipe made according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a screen component of the pipe of FIGS. 1 or 1A, the screen being shown in flattened form removed from the pipe;

FIG. 2A is a similar top view of a screen according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a curve of flow versus time, illustrating the air/smoke movement involved in respiration and inhalation and exhalation of smoke;

FIG. 4 is a log-log part of friction factor and roughness coefficient against Reynolds Number for varying conditions of flow through varying forms of conduit, indicating the regions for laminar, transition and turbular flows in the form known as a Moody diagram; and

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a pair of pipes nested together for purposes hereinafter described.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown in axial section a pipe 10 comprising a block 12 with intersecting passages therein which are arranged orthogonally with respect to each other. The passage 16 is enlarged to form a bowl 18. The block 12 can be placed upright on a table or other flat surface with bowl 18 facing upwards and having an opening 19 at the upper surface of the block 12. A metallic screen 20 seats on an annular shoulder portion 22 formed in the bowl as a lateral transition from its larger cross-section area to the narrower cross-section area of passage 16. The screen 20 contacts shoulder 20 only at screen edges to leave a space 201 between the screen and shoulder to assure even burning throughout the charge of smoking material on the screen. Planar contact between screen and shoulder would tend to suppress burning in the zone of such contact due to heat transfer out through the block 12.

Preferably all of bowl l8, passage 16 and passage 14 are circular cross-section drill holes, although other regular geometric forms of cross-section may be employed. Passage 14 is tapped to receive an externally threaded tube, as described below.

A pipe stem 24, comprising a bowl-connecting end 26. and a lip end 28, comprises a central metal tube 30 and a surrounding insulating shield 32 of tubular form made of low density polyethylene. The tube 32 extends from the bowl connection of the pipe stem 24 and to and over the lip end 28 of the metal of the pipe stem to prevent the smokers burning his fingers or lips. The tube 32 is pressed on to the metal tube 30. The metal tube 30 is threaded at its bowl-connecting end to mate with the tapped hole or passage 14 therein in the bowl.

Typical dimensions for a preferred embodiment of the pipe are /8 inch cylindrical metal block as block 12 with a inch diameter hole drilled about /a inch deep to form bowl 18, the passage 16 being a inch diameter hole drilled to a depth of about "/8 inch within block 12, but in any event to within 95 percent of the total depth of block 12. Metal tube 30 is preferably inch outer diameter and at least .200 inch inner diameter and preferably about .250-inch inner diameter. The length of metal tube is as necessary to cool the smoke and may vary from 1 inch to about l2 inches in practice. The threading which has been used with the above exemplary dimensions of other components given above, is National Pipe Thread Standard Vs inch-27 which accommodates the threaded end 26 of the pipe stem in the preferred dimensional example given above.

The intersection of passages 14 and 16 is free of obstructions, has a diagonal cross-section area greater than the cross-section area of either of passages 14, 16, and forms an appropriate path for laminar flow, as indicated by the lines L therein. The dead spaces DS formed by drilling past the intersection in initially forming the passages do not appear to interfere with the maintenance of laminar flow in the pipe.

FlG. 1A shows as a second embodiment a pipe A which has the same parts as pipe 10 of FIG. 1 to the extent indicated by common reference numerals for component parts thereof. The pipe 10A differs from pipe 10 in the provision of a block 12A which is machined out to form multiple stepped bowls 18A and 18B having respective shoulders 22A and 22B supporting respective screens 20A and 20B therein with respective spacings 201A and 2018. The larger upper bowl can be used for smoking large leafy substances or coarsely particulated substances while the smaller bowl 183 can be used for finely particulated substances. Effective use of this dual capability is particularly enhanced by the removable screen feature described below in connection with FIG. 2A.

In both the FIG. 1 and 1A embodiments the bowl or at least the uppermost bowl has a straight cylindrical wall 191 just below its opening 19 for nesting with similar pipes having a conforming outer or inner diameter for purposes described below in connection with FIG. 5.

Preferred materials of construction are 606l-T6 aluminum alloy for the tube 30 and 201 l-T3 aluminum alloy for bowls 12 or 12A.

H6. 2 shows the screen 20 in top view and as removed from bowl 18 of FIG. 1. The cross-section area of screen 20 is slightly larger than that of bowl 18 (HQ 1) so that when the screen seats on the shoulder portion 22 of bowl 18, the screen takes up the reverse curved position shown in FIG. 1. The preferred mesh sizes for the screen 20 are 30 to 50 mesh per inch, being the same mesh in both directions of crisscrossing. The screen is preferably made of 304 or other stainless steel alloys.

Materials substitutions may be made for the preferred materials given above for various components consistent with the above stated objects.

FlG. 2A shows a variation of the screen 20, denoted by legend 20A in FIG. 2A. This comprises one or more notched portions along the edge of the screen, one of which is indicated at 21A. When seated in the bowl of a pipe such notched portion, or portions, provide access to a digging tool such as a pocket knife or nail file for removing the screen for cleaning.

FIG. 3 is a linear-linear plot of gas volume (versus time) that would be moved by the lungs a person in the course of normal respiration or in pipe smoking with inhalation and exhalation. The Y-axis is labeled Q and indicates gas flow in liters (1) and the X-axis is time in seconds, although numbers have not been given since the respiratory cycle timing is well known per se. In prior art smoking, a substantial portion of the ability of the lungs to take in smoke is limited by turbulence established within the pipe itself. In the FIG. I pipe, this is overcome through the maintenance of laminar flow.

FIG. 4 is a Moody diagram type of plot of friction factor f on the lefthand Y-axis and pipe roughness factor k on the righthand of Y-axis against Reynolds number [N on the X-axis. Various velocity conditions 20. 30 and 60 feet per second and 6 inches per second are indicated on the curve corresponding to certain Reynolds Numbers on the X-axis and flow conditions are indicated by the letters LF (corresponding to laminar flow), CZ (corresponding to a critical zone), TZ (corresponding to transitional zone), and TURB (corresponding to the region of turbulent flow). The line LF comprises the locus of operating points when laminar flow conditions obtain and it is believed that operation of the pipe described in connection with FIGS. 1-2A above, does limit itself to essentially the region between points A and B along the line LF during normal pipe smoking conditions by virtually all adult users. That is, the Reynolds Number is in a range of from slightly less than 1,000 to slightly greater than 2,000 and the applicable friction factor is from 0.1 to 0.02 and applicable roughness factor is in a range greater than .001 and that the combination of the parameters in any given case will tend to be along the line between point A and B. The various curves SP at the lower end of the family of curves corresponds to the smooth pipes and the uppermost curves are the conditions obtaining for rough pipes.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the pipe 10 of H68. l-2A nested with a similar pipe of smaller bowl size, with the two bowls being nested and in confronting relationship.

A further use of the nested pipe array is for exhalation blowing of smoke. One person can blow on the lip end of a first one of the pipes and smoke will come out of the lip end of the other (second) pipe. The recipient of the pleasant aroma of smoke can be the blower himself and all other persons in the immediate vicinity or a friend who can be smoking at or near the lip end of the second pipe. The process can be run one way or reversibly for mutual comfort and for the value of the ritual as a social gesture of good will, affection and cooperation.

The harnessing of exhalation to smoking through the array of FIG. 5 induces a smoke passage phenomenon that may be termed a shotgun effect. It is among the advantages of the present invention that it lends itself to taking advantage of the shotgun effect.

Preferably blowing is done through pipe 110 and the smoking material is stored in pipe 10 which has a larger bowl capacity.

The nested pipe array is easily fitted together by provision of a first series of pipes with bowls having outer wall diameters at their bowl opening which are about .010 .020 inches less than inner diameters of similar pipes. The nested pipes can be lifted together by grasping the insulated stem of either of them and, if the upper pipes stem (whichever of pipes 10 or 110 happens to be upper at a given time) is grasped, the long lever arm tends to tilt the upper bowl within the lower bowl and thereby tends to lock the two pipes together to prevent the lower pipes falling away. This locking is particularly effective if the smaller bowl pipe'(ll0 in FIG. 5) is the upper pipe.

The nested pipes 10, 110 are demountable and can be separated at any time for individual use thereof.

Those skilled in the art, once given the benefit of the foregoing disclosure, can make numerous variations from and other uses of the above described preferred embodiments. It is therefore intended that the above disclosure shall be read as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the present invention being limited solely by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A two pipe assemblage of similar pipes of different bowl sizes, each of said pipes comprising,

means for forming a pipe bowl comprising a metal block with first and second intersecting passages therein arranged orthogonally with respect to each other,

a first one of said first and second passages being enlarged at a surface of the block compared to the other of said passages to form a bowl,

means forming a transition section annular shoulder within said bowl,

screen means overlying and seating on the annular shoulder with screen edges in frictional engagement with bowl side walls to prevent the screens falling out and spanning the cross section of said bowl to contain smoking material in the bowl and limit access of the smoking material to the intersection of said first and second passages,

means forming an elongated pipe stem with a lip end and a securing end engageable with said bowl and comprising means forming a central metal tube with smooth interior surfaces having a minimum cross-section area equivalent to a .200 inch diameter cylinder and a surrounding insulating jacket,

the pipe further comprising means demountably securing the securing end of said pipe stem to the second of said first and second passages,

the two pipes being nested with confronting bowls, one in the other, to form a total air flow passage comprising in sequence the tube lip end, tube, first and second passage intersection of one of the pipes and then through a volume defined by the overlapping bowls and then through the first and second passage intersection, tube and tube lip end of the other pipe.

2. Device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second passages comprise means providing intersecting holes both terminating within the metal block and each of which clears the other at their intersection to make a diagonal area at the intersection larger than cross section area of either passage.

3. A smoking pipe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bowl construction of each pipe has straight cylindrical walls adjacent an upper bowl opening in outer diameter and inner diameter sizes for the two similar pipe models such that the smaller of said bowls is nestable in the larger bowl,

the nested bowl pipes being holdable with one hand on the stem of either pipe and the pipes being selectively separatable.

4. An improved smoking pipe comprising, in combination,

means for forming a pipe bowl comprising a metal block with first and'second intersecting passages therein arranged orthogonally with respect to each other,

a first one of said first and second passages being enlarged at a surface of the block compared to the other of said passages to form a bowl,

means forming a transition section annular shoulder within said bowl,

screen means overlying and seating on the annular shoulder with screen edges in frictional engagement with bowl side walls to prevent the screens falling out and spanning the cross section of said bowl to contain smoking material in the bowl and limit access of the smoking material to the intersection of said first and second passages,

means forming an elongated pipe stem with a lip end and a securing end engageable with said bowl and comprising means forming a central metal tube with smooth interior surfaces having a minimum cross-section area equivalent to a .200 inch diameter cylinder and a surrounding insulating jacket,

the pipe further comprising means demountably securing the securing end of said pipe stem to the second of said first and second passages, and

the screen has an area larger than the shoulder so that when forced into the bowl the screen assumes a curved form opening concavely outward toward the bowl opening but clearing the shoulder except for edge contact therewith, wherein the shoulder annulus is slanted down inwardly and is coaxially aligned with the bowl.

5. Device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the screen comprises at least one notched portion leaving at least one discrete shoulder portion bare for insertion of a tool to expedite removal of the screen from the bowl. 

1. A two pipe assemblage of similar pipes of different bowl sizes, each of said pipes comprising, means for forming a pipe bowl comprising a metal block with first and second intErsecting passages therein arranged orthogonally with respect to each other, a first one of said first and second passages being enlarged at a surface of the block compared to the other of said passages to form a bowl, means forming a transition section annular shoulder within said bowl, screen means overlying and seating on the annular shoulder with screen edges in frictional engagement with bowl side walls to prevent the screen''s falling out and spanning the cross section of said bowl to contain smoking material in the bowl and limit access of the smoking material to the intersection of said first and second passages, means forming an elongated pipe stem with a lip end and a securing end engageable with said bowl and comprising means forming a central metal tube with smooth interior surfaces having a minimum cross-section area equivalent to a .200 inch diameter cylinder and a surrounding insulating jacket, the pipe further comprising means demountably securing the securing end of said pipe stem to the second of said first and second passages, the two pipes being nested with confronting bowls, one in the other, to form a total air flow passage comprising in sequence the tube lip end, tube, first and second passage intersection of one of the pipes and then through a volume defined by the overlapping bowls and then through the first and second passage intersection, tube and tube lip end of the other pipe.
 2. Device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second passages comprise means providing intersecting holes both terminating within the metal block and each of which clears the other at their intersection to make a diagonal area at the intersection larger than cross section area of either passage.
 3. A smoking pipe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bowl construction of each pipe has straight cylindrical walls adjacent an upper bowl opening in outer diameter and inner diameter sizes for the two similar pipe models such that the smaller of said bowls is nestable in the larger bowl, the nested bowl pipes being holdable with one hand on the stem of either pipe and the pipes being selectively separatable.
 4. An improved smoking pipe comprising, in combination, means for forming a pipe bowl comprising a metal block with first and second intersecting passages therein arranged orthogonally with respect to each other, a first one of said first and second passages being enlarged at a surface of the block compared to the other of said passages to form a bowl, means forming a transition section annular shoulder within said bowl, screen means overlying and seating on the annular shoulder with screen edges in frictional engagement with bowl side walls to prevent the screen''s falling out and spanning the cross section of said bowl to contain smoking material in the bowl and limit access of the smoking material to the intersection of said first and second passages, means forming an elongated pipe stem with a lip end and a securing end engageable with said bowl and comprising means forming a central metal tube with smooth interior surfaces having a minimum cross-section area equivalent to a .200 inch diameter cylinder and a surrounding insulating jacket, the pipe further comprising means demountably securing the securing end of said pipe stem to the second of said first and second passages, and the screen has an area larger than the shoulder so that when forced into the bowl the screen assumes a curved form opening concavely outward toward the bowl opening but clearing the shoulder except for edge contact therewith, wherein the shoulder annulus is slanted down inwardly and is coaxially aligned with the bowl.
 5. Device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the screen comprises at least one notched portion leaving at least one discrete shoulder portion bare for insertion of a tool to expedite removal of the screen from the bowl. 